Cop numbers ‘over the top’
Lawyer slams rise in police presence at Ihumatao site
AMaori defence lawyer who took part as a observer at a landmark indigenous protest in the United States has slammed an increased police presence at Ihumatao as “over the top” in what had been an “entirely peaceful process”.
Some of those occupying the site of a proposed housing development in South Auckland claimed police manhandled at least one of them on Monday night as they were blocked in by dozens of officers.
But police deny the claim, and say they only brought in extra numbers after the group earlier moved past the cordon on to private land. They also said officers had been subjected to physical and verbal abuse.
The group leading the occupation, Save Our Unique Landscape (Soul), claim as many as 100 officers turned up just before evening prayer around 7pm on Monday.
Hundreds of supporters flooded in to the site as a stand-off with police ensued, which lasted until about 1am. No arrests were made.
Defence lawyer Kingi Snelgar observed the stand-off and said the large police presence was “very concerning”.
“Especially given the entirely peaceful process working towards a resolution. This is not a violent situation at all, it was all very over the top.”
Organiser Pania Newton said she was walking through a gate when a police officer rammed her with it — causing her to fall to the ground.
She said she was “fine” and luckily, no one was seriously hurt.
Snelgar said he didn’t see that happen but was concerned about general police actions, and how they worked to isolate people during what was a very cold evening.
“A small group of protectors were at the frontline on a road, surrounded by police and isolated. They were not on ‘private land’.
“What happened to the halt to
development, finding a solution and de-escalation by police? The higher police presence suggests the opposite.”
Snelgar, who works as defence lawyer in Manukau, has been giving legal advice and bearing witness at Ihumatao, with a few dozen other legal professionals and students.
He said he’d never seen any physical or verbal abuse from protesters towards police.
Snelgar spent six weeks as a human rights observer at Standing Rock in North Dakota in 2016, and saw some “pretty horrific” US police action, including the use of dogs and concussion grenades, against protectors there. An indigenous grassroots movement opposed an oil pipeline through traditional land.
Snelgar said: “[Ihumatao] is a completely different situation, but there is concern, and we want to be here to make sure it does not escalate.”
Counties Manukau District Commander Superintendent Jill Rogers said police increased numbers at the site after organisers indicated they intended to move past the cordon.
“Despite repeated warnings from police, a large group of protesters attempted to bypass the police cordon,” Rogers said.
“Police attempted to stop those trespassing, but protesters pushed their way past our staff.”
The group eventually left the private land and no arrests were made, she said.
Police rejected allegations a protester was pushed over and said misinformation was being circulated suggesting police had broken agreements.
Rogers said staff had shown “incredible professionalism” over the past two weeks, despite at times being subjected to verbal abuse, being physically shoved and being spat on.
In what was billed as a national day of action, about 300 people protested outside Parliament yesterday — including actor Julian Dennison — and 80 people gathered outside Fletcher Building on Great South Rd in Penrose, the developer of the site.
Dennison, 16, had signed out of classes at Hutt International Boys’ School for the day to show his support.
“We’re all one big wha¯ nau in Aotearoa and it’s just us about supporting each other,” he told the Herald.
“It was important to come here together as a people and a nation to support those who are the exact same as us through love and aroha.”
This is not a violent situation at all, it was all very over the top. Kingi Snelgar, defence lawyer